Automatic recording trap nest



March 1, 1932.

W. A. HARRON AUTOMATIC RECORDING TRAP NEST Filed July 26. 1930 5Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 1, 1932.

W. A. HARRON AUTOMATIC RECORDING TRAP NEST Filed July 26, 1950 lil 5Sheets-Sheet 2 UIulllllllxll"` E a 2z J/z/ ll .L h `-|Il l '1l INVENTORATTORNEY March 1, 1932. n w. A. HARRON 1,847,960

AUTOMATIC RECORDING TRAP NEST Filed July 26, k1930 3 sheets-sheet s @59?fj H/Hllmllllllllull 'Wil/ImiIII In n H y i Il A /g M Z4 l .-/25 /3 uff:al? y? j ZZ 2 l? .2l '30 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1V,V 1.91.32

WILLIAM ALBERT Hennen-0F Brennan,.rammelen.extraire"J fj AUTOMATICRECORDING 'naar Nasr Appneatioamed my 2e,

.My invention relates to improvem'entsin.`

trap nests, and the objectsjlof my `invention are .to construct a trapnest of thety'pef characterized whereby the identity ofthe llaying hensin a Hock @ang-be clearly Land accurately recorded; to construct a trapnest so thatthel owner or attendant maylobtan an individual -l record ofevery layer and conversely of every. non-layer Without the necessity ofhaving-toV remain close at handV and Vconstantly Watch the nests or have:to manually remove'v the hens When they have-laidg'to construct a traplnest so that after any individu/alben has` deposited her eggl in theeggzcompartment she may leave that compartmentl of her own free will andit Will be impossible Jfor hento return to or'any other hen tol enterthat. compart# ment until that egg is recorded; to construct a trap nestso that it Will be impossiblefor-a hen once she has entered theappliance to leave,v

it Without recording lierfindentityWhether she'has laid or not; toconstructra' trap'nestwv wherein every 'hen'` thatv enters the applianceWill be compelled to crossA a bed of. lime `or other absorbent materialso as to cleanse and: disinfect her feet before entering the .corn-vzpartment where the eggs are'deposrted, and'to further construct a trapnestwhich shallbe readily adaptablefor use'at anytime should itfbedesired to temporarily'orcontinually employ the same to ascertain therecord of performance of anyvhen or hens ofoutstanding merit and forwhich 1t lsjdeem'ed ex'- pedient, essential orv necessary toeinployper'-1 sonal observation in the conductofoiicial certified contests.

Ar further object is the provision'of an eiiitv door for trap nests ofva` novel construction, which may be` attached to a trap nest ofanyordinary type and which will arrange a recording band'around the neck ofthe hen as she `passes through the' door and further Which willaiford abarrier to prevent hens' entering the nest from thev exit end thereof.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in certainothernovel .fea-

tures of construction,combination and operav-`r tive assocratlon ofparts, a satisfactory em# bodi'ment of which is disclosed'V by theaccompanying drawings and wherein;

1930:' seriar no, Aimes?.

Figur-'e `l-'is a front elevation Voff aftrap. Y

j'Figure f'is a transverse sectionalvieWap proximate'ly on vthe line 5 5of Figure `'2; fll

proXiin'ately on fthe line 6`6 of Figure( 2.? ivFigure 7 is a-fview,substantially similar to Figure, 2 llout"showing the arrangement ofpartsater the hen has left thenest;` f Figure y8 Aisna i detailysrlctionak'view ap proximately on the line 8-8 ofFi'gureA 2.

Figure 9 isa perspective View ofthe uppersectionA oftheextjdoor.` 1igure -lOis av similar viewfo-vtl'ie llovver section'qf'" a Figure ll isa'ydetail elevation ofthe upper portion of one ofthe vertical -barsorjposts that support thereon therecording band, the hearing lfor theEpinextension on the -post beinginsection. j ,v Figure-'12 is a-planviewfofthefconstru tion disclosed in Figure 11:4 1* u v Figure 13 is aninner facevieW-of the exit door. i' f `Figure-14 islanedge lvievvthereo.;` My ViInprovement isin the nature ofan auf-'- scftomatic'recording"trap nest, asy theV nest por@ tion therein i's-clo'sedaftera hen'hasjoccu"V pied the same andfemadeher exit-'from the-1 bodyor l'iousingv of the improvement- The` siniilar.Y 'construction a`detail vdescription of 'one Will be applicable to the remainder. In

lthis connection it should be'stated that lfij desired only asinglenest"maybev employedz Y for recording the performance of any henorhens of outstandingy meritl which ordinarily require lPersonalobservation.- v

The nest is ,preferably ofi a yrectangular formation and the 4body forhousing thereof is broadly indicated .by the numeral 1. r The body orhousing has'. botho its :ends'opem eefy Figuren?isfasimilarsecticmalview` apa,

The entrance end, at a suitable distance above the floor of the body isprovided with a suitable opening 2 and with guides 3 adjacent to thesides of the opening, the said guides being for the reception of a slideor door 4. Preferably and as disclosed by the drawings the opening 2 iscircular as is the slide or door4.

Inward-ot the door 4 andthe opening 2 `the body has its upper portionprovided with spaced vertically arranged transversegbars 5 that offeranobstruction zit-the top'rof-the body and below the bars 5 there Yishinged a plate or door 6 that is designed "to contact with the stopelements 7 on the, .sides of the 4 body lrwhen in closed position. Thedoor similardisinfectant 11. i Obviously the hen entering the nest musttread on the disinfectant 11 before entering the nestk proper and thedistinfectant 1,1,will absorb any Vexcrementv that may be adjacent tothe feet and toes of the hen. For distinction the compartment betweenthe gravity influenced door and the front of the body of the nest isindicated by the numeral 12 and inward 'of the compartment 12 there isanother compartment 13Vin which there is arranged the nest proper whichisindicated bythe numeral 14. The nestproper has one of its endscontacting with the partition plate 10 and'itssecond end contacting witha similar but nai-, rower partition plate 15. In a line with the rearwall of the nest 14 there'is secured to the inner sides of the housing 1guide strips 16, and to what I will term the outer Jface of thepartition strip 15 there issecured'to thefsides, top and bottom of thenest a partition plate 17. The partition plate 17;, v1s provided with aroundopening 18 of a suitable size whereby the -hen after leaving thenest 14may freelyV pass'therethrough, Vand arranged for slidablemovement between the. guide 16 and the partition 17 there is a grav-vity iniuenced door 19 which has a substantially semi-circular opening2() entering from its lower edge and registering with the upperwalllprovided by the opening` 18 when the door19is in open position.

The space between the partition 17 and thev outer or eXit end of thenest'is for distinction indicated by the numeral 20. Inthe compartment20 there is fixed a vertically arranged roost 21. The vert-ical postsprovid` ed for the roosts are connected at their up.-

per ends by a transverse bar 22.

The eXit end of the housing 1 may have and preferably has its upperportion partly closed by spaced transverse bars 23 similar to the bars15, and to the lower bar 23 there is hinged the outwardly openingsection 24 of the eXit door. This section 24 has an opening 25thatenters,fromiitslowerend, the said openingbeingota suiiicientsize topermit of the passage ofthe head of the hen therethrough. The lowersection of the exit door `is-indicated'by the. numeral 26a-nd is hinged,as at27, to a transverse bar or cleat at the bottom' o`"t`he'h0using l.The lower door has en its upperend a central tongue projection l27 thatcarries on one of its sides a pinor lug 28 :that is received in a slot29 arranged 'in .a' linefwith Vone of the side walls provided bythe.opening 25 in the upper door section 24 and entering ltrom the loweredge of 'the' said door section 24. At the sides of the sectionscomprising the exit door there aremounted posts 30. These posts havelower pins or pintles 31 that are received-in the cleat or transversestrip V32 to which thecleat on the doorsection is hinged and likewiseare provided withupper pins or' pintles 33 that are received througharcuate orangle slots 34 in the lower cleat or bar 23, to which the'upper exit door section is hinged. The posts l30 carry outstanding pinsor rods 35that are vreceived through screw eyes 36 on the outer edges ofthe upper exit door section 24, adjacent to the bottom thereof. The rods`or pins when received through the guide eyes 36 hold the posts 30 fromturning on their pivots or pintles31and 33 and likewise prevent theupper ends of the said posts having their pintles 33 slide through theangle or arcuate slots34. The door sections 24 and 26-are arrangedangularly -withrespect to each other Vwhen the door is closed. This isto'permit of the ready swinging of the door section `26 tolowerhorizontal position when pressure ofthe hen is directed against thedoor `section 24. Such pressure upon the doorsection-24 will cause thepins 28 on the tongue projection 27 tortravelout of the slots 29 in thedoor' section 24, thereby .permitting the .free downward swinging of thedoor section 26. l v` The upper exit door section24 has secured to `and'extending fromv `one of its outer sides a preferably headed member 37which may be in the nature of an ordinary nail, and the member 37 isdesigned to be engaged by the hooked end of a rod 38 which is guidedthrough an opening inthe partition 17 and which atlords a rest for thegravity influenced door. 19 when the latter is in raised position.

Qnthe inner face of each of the posts 30 there isa pair of spaced lugs39 and around these oppositely disposed pairs of lugs there is trainedan elastic band 40 that may carry a tag embossed` or stamped with avnumber to on their necks while they are quietly iepnos` facilitatedetection of the hens -with 'bands ingjon the roasts. Thetgs arehollowand are of substantially spherical formation and have arranged thereinesound making element, such as a sinznll sphere to contact with the innerysurfaces of the tag7 so that the attendant vlzrI-lisln'iig the .henshead aside with his hand in passing along theiroosts will readily detectthe `hens carrying the bells. As far as the descriptionhas progressed itwill' be noted that VA the' 'exit door `is normally closed and thegravity inluencedfentrance door is normally; open. The. hen entering'thenest passes `through the'opening. 2 anchas stated'7 ltreads upon thedisinfectant ll-in the compartment12. The swingable door 6 hasV itslower edge ay suitable vdistance above 'the partition lond the top'o thenest I4. The hen plzivc'esgher Weight against this door and enters thenest 14. `In so doing the -door isswung approximately to the ,dottedline position in 'Figure 2 ofthe drawings so that-thestop rod 8isidrmvn'through the guide 9 which rmits the door to gravi-Y tate toclosed position. It shouldbe stated that'the operation of the doors 4and 6 .as Weli as the remaining doors that' constitute the improvementare-asnoiseless as possible.

The hen titer layingan egg passes through.

v un, opening in the gravity doei-*'19 vand partition 17. She nowVplaces herselffupon the perch 22 and forces her yhead through theelastic band 4() and through the opening 25 in the upper exit doorsection 24. The perch serves as a means whereby the hen canv exert'press-nre upon the door section 24fto cause both the said door sect-ionand the lower door section 26 to swing outwardly 'or to open position.Then the door section is 4swung upwardly' the rods or pins 35 'arebronght out of thegnide eyes 36, so that the,

elastioreeording hand- 40 will Yboth' turn and cant the posts, causing'theusztid Aband to be releasedvfrom the-lugs 39 andf'tonrreng'e itself?ziround the neck 'of the hen. As the upper exit door section is swungupwardly the lug or pin 2S will traif'el-ont of the slot and theswinging of the said sect-ion 24. will draw on the rod 38 to brinel thesame ont 'of en? gagenrent with the slidahiedoor19,Vpermitting the saineto slide by gravity to' close the entrance to the nest from the exit endof the housing 1; Y

It will be apparent that the exit doors may be applied to any ordinarytmp liestI con struction, in which instance, however, the 4iod 3'8 willnot Abe required and, therefore, on the inner face of the upper sectionof the exit door IV airangespaeed guides Llil'disposed to the oppositesides` of "the opening in the said door section and through these gnidesthere areY passed gravity influencedrods 42 which preferably have theiropposite ends headed. The lower heads rest 'on' the lower exit doorsection when the door sections'arein closed positionbutiwheii the doorsections are lswung to openposition the. members" '42 will gravitate`downwardly and provide a barrierthat will preyent hens y'from .enteringthe nest from vthe exit doorth-ereof. :This con? struction is, ofcourse,1ap} ilicable :to the ,de-.f

vice previously .describednndfit is optional;

direct the neck of the hen through the elastic bandi f Y Itwillbeapparent that 'exit of every'- unitof the :battery ofautomaticrecording` trapnests insures dief-transfer of'a 'number totheneck of each henthat passes through y each individual nest andv which?numberV is;

identical .with the recorded nnmberfo lthe `written record kept for thisindividualhen.'

Thev invention dispenses with a necessity of continuously Watching thehens 'occupying when she has 1 laid With the attendant en cit'einent 'ofthe hens'of highly nervous teinperament and its' detrimental "eicctfonvegg prodmtion.-V Vith my automaticijecording' trap nest` the bands areremoved iafter the hens have gone toroostf by their Aetten'dantt and theleg band numbers"recorded fand thisi one inspection in the quietofthefn'ight causes littleVj or no excitement.' 'From experience Il havefound thatY a flock eta-bout one-hundred hens can be recorded in labouttwenty minutes.` The hen it will noted automatically ref"- leasesherself the mom-entf'she-leaveslthe-nest andAc-'anproceedn't oncetot-'eed a'ndldrinl'v or'. to exercise instead of having Lto` remaintrapped'to' await the attendnnts convenience andv thereby be deprivcdofliberty,'feed, Wa-

ter and exercise and its consequent eliect` ofv reduced time for foodconsumption pursuant with the layingof fewer eggsso that the max-` imuinnumber of feeding hours that every Y.

laying Ahen could reach will attained 'by'v the use of my invention.v'Also the improve-4 ment reduces the possibility of egg breakage bythehen'herself as many Vhens that are docile from the. time otentering thenest until the egg islziid iinmediatelyjthereiterV rese-nt imprisonmentand if release isHde-y pendent npon the next round ofthe attend-v ant'the frantic attempts to obta'inffreedom result-s in soiled, smeared andbroken eggs.

It is believed the Vconstruction`and advair tages of my improvement willbe understood 'and appreciated after the foregoing description has beencarefully read in connection with the accompanying drawings'butobvionsly I do not Wish to be restricted to the precise details vhereinset forth md5 there;

fo're,` hold myselfv entitledk to make `snch the nests so estoA manuallyremoveeach yhen l 9-0 Y changes therefrom as fairly fall with-iii scopeof what I claim.

Having described the invention, IV claim l. An outwardly opening exitdoor for trap.l nests, comprising an upper hinged section having acentral opening thereinanda lower hinged section having a. tongue tobepartly received therein, means between the tongue and the uppersection for normally holding the the sections closed, a barrier guidedon the upper section and resting on the lower section. when the door isclosed and designed to slidel down from the upper section over the lowersection when the door is opened. i

2. An outwardly opening exit door for trap nests, comprising an upper.hinged section having an opening entering from the bottom thereof and alower hinged section liavinga tongue which is partly received inthe opening and said sections being arranged at angles with respect to eachother, means between the sections for normally holding-suoli,sectionsclosed and a barrier guided on the upper section and resting on thelower section when the door is closed andwhichbarrier is freeA on thetongue received in the slot and norinally holding the door sectionsclosed but atv angles with respect to each other, and a barrier guidedon theupper sectionA and resting on the lower section when the door isclosed and which slides downwardly when therdoorT is opened. 1 i v 4. Anoutward ly opening exit vdoor for trap nests comprising an upper hingedsection having an openingtherethrough, and having a slot entering fromits outer edge and arranged in a line with one of the side wallsyprovided by the opening, a lower hinged sec-V tion having a tongue to bepartly received in wthe opening, a laterally extending element on thetongue received in the slot and norinally holding the door sectionsclosed but at angles with respect to 'each' other,s1iaced headed barsproviding barriers guided on the upper section and resting 4on the lowerseci tion when the door is closed and likewise designed to slide down onthe lower section when the door is opened and the lower section swung toapproximately horizontal position. i

5. An exit for trap nests including an out-V wardly opening doorcomprising an upper hinged section and a lower hinged section which arearranged at angles with respect to each other, means between thesections torV normally holding the said, sections closed,y

posts' having lower-loosely pivoted ends and.

upper pivoted and slidable ends, lugs on the posts, a` tag carryingelastic band trained aroundftlie lugs, a rod carriedby each post and aguide eye onthe sides ofthe upper door section normally `receiving therods therethrougln-fm the purpose set forth.

'6.V .An exit'v for trap nests including an outwardly opening doorcomprising an iupper.

hinged section and a Vlowerhinged section which are arranged atV angleswith respectlto eachr other, means between the sections for normally`holding thel said sections closed, posts having lower loosely pivotedends and upper pivoted and sli-dable ends, lugs on the arranged at.angles with respect to each other,l means between the sections fornormally holde ing the said `sections closed, posts having lower looselypivoted ends and upperpivoted and slidable ends, lugs -oii the posts, atag carrying elastic band trained around the lugs, arodcarried by, eachpost and aguide eye ongthe sidesof the upper. door section normally.receiving the rods therethrough, a perch inward .of the posts, a nestcompartnjientto tli-e rearvof.- the perch,and said nest havinganentrance openino'.

8.` A trap nest,'including a body having an exit comprising-an outwardlyopening.

door'consisting of an upper hinged section and a `lowerhingedsectionwhich are arranged at angles withrespect to each other,

meansgbetwleenV the .sections for normally` holding the said sectionsclosed, `posts having lower loosely pivoted ends and upper pivoted andslidable ends, lugs on the posts, a. tag carrying elastic band trainedlaround the. lugs, arod carried by each post and a guide eye on the sidesof the upper door section Ynormally receiving the rods there through, aperch inw-ard of the posts, a downwardlyslidable gravity influenceddoorto the rearof,- the perch, said door having an open-ing fromthelower end thereof, guide means for the door, a rod removablyconnectedwith the upper exit door section and apording a rest for theslidable door, anest adjacent to the slidable door and said nest having-an lentrance' to the nest `compartment. Y

-9. A trap nest, including a body having anexit which comprisesanoutwardly opening doorY consisting Yof yan upper hinged sec` tion andfa. lower hinged section which` areI arranged at angles with respect toeach other,I

means `between -the..sections for j' normally holding the said sectionsclosed, posts having lowe'i loosely pivoted ends and upper pivoted andslidable ends, lugs on the posts, a

tag carrying elastic band trained around the lugs, va rod carried byeach post and a guide eye on the sides of the upper door sectionnormally receiving the rods therethrough, a

perch inward of the posts, a downwardly slidable gravity inuenced doorto the rear of the perch, said door having an opening from the lower endthereof, guide means for the door, a" rod removably connected with Y-theupper exit door section and Vaording a rest for the slidable door, anest compartment adjacent to the slidable door, an inwardly openingpivoted door above the nest, a loosely connected rod member carried bythe door, said body having an inlet opening at one end thereof, agravity influenced door for closing the inlet opening, a guide in thebody for the last named rod, whereby the said rod affords a supportor'the inlet door when the pivoted door is closed, and a stop elementfor the pivoted door. Y

10. A trap nest including a body having an exit at one end yandanentrancey at its second end, the exit comprising` an outwardly K openingdoor which constitutes an upper hinged section anda lower hinged sectionarranged at angles with respect to each other, means between thevsections for normally holding the said sections closed, posts'havinglower loosely pivoted Vends and upper Y pivoted and slidable ends, lugson the posts,

a tag carrying elastic band trained around the lugs, a rod carried byeach post and a guide eye on the sides of the upper door sectionnormally receiving the rods therethrough, a perch inward of the posts, adownwardly 'slidable gravity influenced door to the rear of the perch,said door having an opening from the lower end thereof, guide means forthe door, a rod removably connected with the upper exit door section andaffording a rest for the slidable door, a nest compartment next to theslidable door, an inwardly opening pivoted door above the end of thenest in the compartment, a loosely connected rod member carried by thedoor, a gravity influenced door for closing the entrance opening, aguide in the body for the rod, whereby the said rod aii'ords a support YAfor the inlet door when the pivoted door is v closed, and a stopelement for the pivoted door and the space between the nest and theentrance opening affording a disinfectant compartment.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM ALBERT HARRON.

